According to the Shields Gazette, Newcastle midfielder Ki Sung-yeung is “not 100% trusted” by Steve Bruce.
The South Korean midfielder made few starts over pre-season and has only featured once so far this season – and that was in our horrendous 3-1 defeat at Norwich last month.
Aside from that, he’s been left out of the squad by Steve Bruce in our games against Arsenal and Spurs, also being an unused substitute in games against Watford and Liverpool.
It’s also quite telling that he failed to feature in our Carabao Cup clash with Leicester – a match you would have expected him to play in given his lack of game time in league games so far.
Ki is a talented player who has real quality on the ball, but his lack of mobility and intensity off the ball was well and truly exposed in that 3-1 defeat at Norwich.
It was his one and only start during Steve Bruce’s reign and he hasn’t featured since – and there’s been no reports suggesting he’s had injury issues.
With him out of contract next summer, it feels like this could be the former Swansea star’s last season at St James’ Park.
A tidy player, but one who seems to be well and truly being Hayden, Sean, Longstaff and Shelvey in the pecking order – with Matty Longstaff also close to overtaking him if he continues to impress Bruce.
